Fishing lure

ABSTRACT

A flexible artificial fishing lure comprising a lure body and a pair of legs extending from the lure body, wherein each leg has an upper leg portion attached to the lure body and a lower leg portion extending rearward of the upper leg portion. Each lower leg portion tapers inwardly such that the thickness of each lower leg portion gradually decreases from an outer edge toward an inner edge. According to this design, the lower leg portions have greater weight along the outer edge than along the inner edge. In operation, the lower leg portions move multi-dimensionally as the lure is pulled through the water, thereby creating substantial motion and concomitant vibrations for attracting fish.

REFERENCE TO RELATED PATENT APPLICATION

The present application is a continuation of U.S. patent applicationSer. No. 10/958,131, filed Oct. 4, 2004 now U.S. Pat. No. 7,308,773.

FIELD OF THE INVENTION

The present invention is directed to a flexible artificial fishing lureused to attract fish as the lure is pulled through the water.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

In order to catch fish, artificial fishing lures must first attractfish. Numerous prior art lures have been developed that have variousfeatures to attract fish. One such type of artificial lure is made of asoft and flexible plastic, allowing portions of the lure to wobble orvibrate as the lure is pulled through the water, thereby drawingattention to the lure. The more a lure moves, the more attention isdrawn to the lure and, hopefully, the more fish are caught. However,different fish appear to be attracted to different types of movements.Accordingly, what are needed are new designs for fishing lures thatallow the lures to move in a variety of different manners as the luresare pulled through the water.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

The present invention is a flexible artificial fishing lure comprising alure body having a forward end and a rearward end, a pair of legspreferably extending from the rearward end of the lure body, whereineach leg has an upper leg portion attached to the lure body and a lowerleg portion extending rearward of the upper leg portion. Each upper legportion preferably has a uniform thickness adjacent the site ofattachment to the lure body. Each lower leg portion tapers inwardly suchthat the thickness of each lower leg portion gradually decreases from anouter edge toward an inner edge. The inner edge of the lower leg portionis preferably at least as thick as the upper leg portion. According tothis design, the lower leg portions have greater weight along the outeredge than along the inner edge. This weight distribution feature, incombination with the manner in which the upper leg portions are attachedto the lure body causes the lower leg portions to movemulti-dimensionally as the lure is pulled through the water, therebycreating substantial motion and concomitant vibrations for attractingfish.

These and other advantages of the invention will become apparent fromthe following detailed description of the preferred embodiment of theinvention.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

A fishing lure embodying the features of the present invention isdepicted in the accompanying drawings which form a portion of thisdisclosure and wherein:

FIG. 1 is a top plan view of the invention.

FIG. 2 is a cross-sectional view taken along line 2-2 of FIG. 1.

FIG. 3 is a cross-sectional view taken along line 3-3 of FIG. 1.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT

The present invention is a flexible artificial fishing lure 10comprising a lure body 11 having a forward end 12 through which a hook(not shown) can be inserted, a rearward end 13, and a pair of legs 14preferably extending from the rearward end 13 of the lure body 11,wherein each leg 14 has an upper leg portion 16 attached to the lurebody 11 and a lower leg portion 17 extending rearward of the upper legportion 16. The upper leg portion 16 of each leg 14 preferably has anoutwardly curving outer edge 18 a and an outwardly curving inner edge 19a. The lower leg portion 17 of each leg 14 has an outer edge 18 b and aninner edge 19 b. The width of each leg 14 preferably increases from theupper leg portion 16 toward the lower leg portion 17. Each upper legportion 16 preferably has a uniform thickness adjacent the site ofattachment to the lure body 11, shown in FIG. 3. Each lower leg portion17 tapers inwardly such that the thickness of each lower leg portion 17gradually decreases from the outer edge 18 b toward the inner edge 19 b,shown in FIG. 2. The inner edge 19 b is at least as thick as the upperleg portion 16. The lure is preferably made from a soft, flexibleinjection molded plastic, as is well known in the art.

According to this design, the lower leg portions 17 have greater weightalong the outer edge 18 b than along the inner edge 19 b. This weightdistribution feature, in combination with the thin portion of the upperleg portions 16 that are attached to the lure body 11, causes the lowerleg portions 17 to move apart, rotate back and forth, and move up anddown as the lure is pulled through the water. In addition, because theupper leg portion 16 is relatively thin, this allows an increased rangeof motion up and down by the lower leg portions 17 as the lure is pulledthrough the water. The foregoing features create substantial motion ofthe lower leg portions 17 and concomitant vibrations for attracting fishas the lure is pulled through the water.

Example of Lure Dimensions

Lure (10): 4.375 inch total length (B).

Body (11): 3.0 inch length, 0.5 inch width (A), 0.375 inch thickness.

Leg (14): 2.5 inch length.

Upper leg portion (16): 0.5-0.75 inch length, 0.25 inch minimum width,0.05-0.0625 inch thickness.

Lower leg portion (17): 1.75-2.0 inch length, 0.75 inch maximum width,0.0625 inch thickness of inner edge (19 b), 0.1563-0.1875 inch thicknessof outer edge (18 b).

It is to be understood that the form of the invention shown is apreferred embodiment thereof and that various changes and modificationsmay be made therein without departing from the spirit of the inventionor scope as defined in the following claims.

1. A fishing lure, comprising: a. a body; and b. at least one legattached to said body, wherein said at least one leg comprises a firstportion attached to said body and a second portion extending rearwardfrom said first portion; c. wherein said second portion comprises anouter edge, an inner edge, a top substantially planar surface, and abottom substantially planar surface, wherein said top and bottomsurfaces continuously converge from said outer edge toward said inneredge in a substantially linear manner such that the thickness and weightof said second portion continuously decreases from said outer edgetoward said inner edge, and wherein said top surface and said bottomsurface each have a single slope between said outer edge and said inneredge.
 2. A fishing lure according to claim 1, wherein said first portioncomprises top and bottom surfaces substantially parallel to each othersuch that said first portion has a uniform thickness at the site ofattachment of said first portion to said body.
 3. A fishing lureaccording to claim 2, wherein the thickness of said first portionadjacent said site of attachment is less than or equal to 0.0625 inch,the thickness of said outer edge is between about 0.1563 inch and about0.1875 inch, and the thickness of said inner edge is greater than orequal to 0.0625 inch.
 4. A fishing lure, comprising: a. a body; and b. aplurality of legs attached to said body, wherein each leg comprises afirst portion attached to said body and a second portion extendingrearward from said first portion; wherein each said second portioncomprises an outer edge, an inner edge, a top substantially planarsurface, and a bottom substantially planar surface, wherein said top andbottom surfaces continuously converge from said outer edge toward saidinner edge in a substantially linear manner such that the thickness andweight of said second portion continuously decreases from said outeredge toward said inner edge, and wherein said top surface and saidbottom surface each have a single slope between said outer edge and saidinner edge.
 5. A fishing lure according to claim 4, wherein each saidfirst portion comprises top and bottom surfaces substantially parallelto each other such that said first portion has a uniform thickness atthe site of attachment of said first portion to said body.
 6. A fishinglure according to claim 5, wherein the thickness of said first portionadjacent said site of attachment is less than or equal to 0.0625 inch,the thickness of said outer edge is between about 0.1563 inch and about0.1875 inch, and the thickness of said inner edge is greater than orequal to 0.0625 inch.